16
Liam
Istared off after the SUV as it disappeared down the dirt and gravel road, dust kicking up in its wake. Particles that filtered through the air, slowly dispersing long after the vehicle was gone.What the hell just happened?
Guilt flooded my gut. Did Tessa freak out because I touched her cheek? I was trying like hell to move slowly. Not to make any sudden movements, literally or figuratively. But something about Tessa made my brain cells short-circuit.
God, her skin had been so soft. I swear I could still feel it against my hand. And when had that ever happened? Never, that’s when.
A throat cleared behind me. I turned to see Jensen. She studied me in a way that said if I’d stepped out of line, she’d squash me like a bug. “What happened?”
I swiped the hat off my head in a frustrated pull. “The hell if I know. We were fine. I went to help Noah with his saddle, and when I came out here, Tessa looked as if she’d seen a ghost. She couldn’t get away from me fast enough.” And didn’t that just cut deep? I fisted my ballcap.
Jensen’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Are you sure that’s all that happened?”
I toed the dirt with my boot. “I might have touched her cheek.”
The narrowing of Jensen’s eyes turned into a confused squint. “You touched her cheek?”
I ran a hand through my hair as I turned to face the pasture in front of us. “She had some dirt on her cheek, and I brushed it off. She didn’t jump or anything. But I’m wondering if that freaked her out.” The desire to punch the wooden fence in front of me was strong. How the hell could I get through to Tessa if I didn’t know what things would trigger her and make her run?
I spun back to face Jensen. “Do you know what happened to her?” Walker had said Jensen didn’t know anything, but I wasn’t so sure. And I needed all the help and insight I could get.
Sympathy filled Jensen’s expression. “No.” I just stared harder. “Not for sure. All I know is someone hurt her. I’m guessing it was a man because she shies away from them.”
Rage pulsed through my veins at the thought of someone touching Tessa in a way intended to hurt. I fisted my hands tighter, my hat crumpling.
“You’re gonna need to keep that anger in check if you want a chance with Tessa. She sees any hint of that, she’ll be gone so fast your head will spin.”
I released my death grip on the hat. “I know.”
Jensen blew out a long breath. “I’m honestly surprised Tessa’s let you in as much as she has. Walker has been trying for almost two years to get her to open up. Hoping she’ll start to trust him and tell him what happened so he can help.”
A quick flare of jealousy spiked. I tamped it down. Walker was just trying to help. And he was also so far gone for Taylor, it wasn’t even funny. I knew he didn’t see Tessa in that way. But still, I wanted to be the one Tessa let through those walls. The one she trusted with her story.
Jensen gripped my shoulder. “Walker hasn’t even gotten her to be in a room alone with him, not even at one of our family dinners when she knows the rest of us are nearby. Obviously, some part of her wants to trust you.”
I scrubbed a hand over my jaw. “I want to help her. I just don’t know how. What should I do? Or not do. I feel like I’m walking through a minefield with no map, just praying I won’t hit a trip wire.”
“You do better with her than you think. Taylor told me how you navigated getting her out here today. Challenging her comfort zone but not pushing too far.”
I pulled my slightly mangled hat back on. “I don’t know about that. Look where we ended up, Tessa freaked and running. Maybe I did push too far.” I hated that I might be the cause of the pain Tessa felt. Fucking despised it. It was a reminder that I’d been the cause of pain for another innocent young woman. That someone had almost ended her life because of my actions or non-actions twisted my stomach into knots.
Jensen took a step closer. “Those freak-outs are going to happen. You need to decide here and now if you can handle them or not.” Jensen’s eyes bored into mine. “Because if you can’t, you need to leave her be. I won’t have her start to lean on you, and then have you disappear. Tessa deserves better than that.”
My spine stiffened, irritation bristling my skin. “I know you don’t know me that well, but I’m not that kind of guy.” My grandfather had taught me better. My father. Hell, my mom would tan my hide if she ever knew I pulled something like that on a girl as fragile as Tessa. But Tessa wasn’t just fragile. She was also strong as hell.
Tessa had come through whatever had happened to her, and now she and she alone made sure that she was safe. I could admire that. I just wanted to help her carry some of her burdens. And I certainly didn’t want to cause another freak-out like I had just now. I needed more information, insight into what her triggers might be. I just wasn’t sure how to get it.
Jensen smacked me on the back. “I’m glad to hear that. I’m rooting for you. I really am. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s her.”
My gaze traveled over Jensen’s face, thinking about everything I knew she’d been through herself. Tessa wasn’t the only one who deserved some happiness in her life. I thought better of saying as much, knowing it wouldn’t be received well. “So, any suggestions?”
A grin tipped Jensen’s mouth. “Slow and steady, my friend. Give her a day or so to get her head straight, but no longer than that. The more time you give her, the more she’ll shore up those walls to keep everyone out.”
There was no way in hell I was going to let Tessa do that. She might not recognize it, but there was a whole slew of people on her team now, and I planned on being the fucking team captain.
17
